Coastal Access Toolkit

Case Study: Acquiring Access

Weeks Bay Boat Launch

The Weeks Bay Foundation with the assistance of Otillie Halstead and the Coastal Land Trust purchased at auction properties and a private boat launch and marina adjacent to the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in 1997. The Weeks Bay Foundation, Coastal Land Trust, Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) pooled their resources to acquire two sites consisting of approximately 105 acres with access to Weeks Bay. A long-term plan was reached to provide for the operation of the property and convert the boat ramp to a public facility, thus providing an additional public water access point, and over time, public funding through the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve was utilized to purchase the property from the Foundation.